Does your LDS dive club charge for membership?

[ReefHound]

Evert, I think it's clear you are trying to promote a dive shop, not a dive club.

If you have read my post and still cannot understand the benefits of an independent club, I cannot make it any clearer. We do not ban or discourage members from using their local shops for the items you list, in fact we encourage them. I think our success speaks for itself.

 

[300bar]

Evert, I think it's clear you are trying to promote a dive shop, not a dive club.

If you have read my post and still cannot understand the benefits of an independent club, I cannot make it any clearer. We do not ban or discourage members from using their local shops for the items you list, in fact we encourage them. I think our success speaks for itself.

Reefhound,

Ofcourse I have an interest i have a diveshop and a dive team.
Our dive team is open for all.PADI SSI CMAS and what ever you are.I started this dive team because customers have been asking for it as a followup on their training.I have NO direct influence on them,other then advising them on things to do and places to dive.
But I do encourage independend diveclubs.They are one of the best incomes I have.
But you can't argue that they don't have the rescources an LDS has.

 

[ianr33]

, and I have seen a real failure by a lot of LDS to meet the active divers needs.

I can relate to that.

Once divers get suitably experienced (read independant) a lot of them try to avoid (some) Dive Shops as much as possible. Why? We get fed up having to argue to get a fill because the shop does not recognise the VIP sticker on the tank ,or being told that we really do need to get some split fins etc etc.

Its an old observation but most LDS are more interested in gullible new divers who might be talked into buying a pink tank banger.

Kinda sad but just the way it is.

 

[ScubaKris]

An LDS is a business to make money. Not too offer their time and resources for people to dive free.

 

[300bar]

An LDS is a business to make money. Not too offer their time and resources for people to dive free.

Just another lot of BS.

Every diver in the water for free is money for a LDS.
You need gear(rent)
You need a fill
You need info(gear)
you need divesite info

Our time is our money, but info is still for free and I THINK your LDS will give that info you need for free.

You are (I think)one of those divers,that think that diving can be done over the internet

 

[scubashawn123]

Kinda sad but just the way it is.

I shot a concept piece a few years ago in Catalina (3 camera show with TV production crew) to try and get funded for a "reality based sports adventure show based on the popularity of scuba diving"

It did not make the cut sorry to say. So, I won't give up. Diving is fantastic to me and this idea was to get a weekly show in front of viewers to promote our sport.

Scuba Diving needs to grow and we have so few active divers in the US last number I saw in Alert Diver (DAN) was so low our growth potential would be over 250 million people.

A great Dive Club is an important part of the overall recreational diving world in your area.


Shawn O.

 

[Debraw]

A good dive club as well as good LDS's should be promoting DIVING! There are some good clubs and some bad clubs. What I am trying to point out as well is that it is EVERYONE's responsibility to promote diving as a whole. Dive Clubs, LDS's, Online scuba stores, everyone.
We argue constantly about training organizations, clubs, buying online, not buying online, blah, blah blah. Shut up already, get out there and promote diving for everyone, cold water, cleaning projects, warm water, environmental effects, everything about diving that is good.
What have you done to promote the sport of diving as a whole?

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I find it odd though, and this goes back to the thread that started all of this, is that the biggest complaint I hear about dive clubs is that THEY DON'T DIVE! They may or may not go places and do things, but even when they do they don't dive. How can it be a dive club if the members don't go diving?

TwoBit

 

[Pearldiver07]

You know, at one time I offered my services to a dive club - clinics, whatever, for free. No strings attached. I just like to help others to get more out of the sport we love. Almost no takers.

I've had nothing but kudos from my students, and a couple of my old instructor students are asking me to run their dive program so I don't think that I put them off.

But I found it odd that no one ever even expressed interest in exploring some of the facets of diving, from buoyancy and weighting clinics through navigation, how to more easily explore in low viz environments, etc., when it was free.

I guess that people figured "how good could it be" if it was free. Go figure.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

The shop I used to instruct for charges 100 dollars a year for membership. You get 10% off on products and limited use of the pool. It was a point of contention with us as I thought it should be free since they are a retail driven shop and I think they needed to consider it service to customers who don't buy online.

They won of course, only a small handful pay for it. They used to have a monthly meeting, now it appears to be a quarterly meeting.